House of Leaves: Explored - Secrets In Sound [I]
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- čas přidán 11. 09. 2024
- Twenty years after the release of House of Leaves in its initial online format, Ash Tree Lane welcomes readers home. Journey with us as we explore the new hallways in Mark Z. Danielewski's astonishing landmark work for a deep blueprinting endeavor.
Need to get a copy of House of Leaves? The links below will serve you best:
Amazon:
goo.gl/gvX9Cg
Barnes & Noble:
goo.gl/mF9Umg
Books-A-Million:
goo.gl/u3r89x
IndieBound:
goo.gl/R6Uq8R
Target:
goo.gl/Ssc3gz
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Pelican Black Channel:
/ @pelicanblack7752
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Mark Z. Danielewski Official Twitter:
goo.gl/UT7ejq
Mark Z. Danielewski Official Instagram:
goo.gl/TKyaEY
Pantheon Books Instagram:
goo.gl/SEzWzY
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Like the music you've heard in this video? It's all original and composed for the House of Leaves project by indie musician Cory Croft & the Band of Phantoms:
Cory Croft & the Band of Phantoms - 'Leaves' EP:
• Leaves (Full EP 2019) ...
Cory Croft & the Band of Phantoms - Bandcamp:
goo.gl/XZuwUP
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NM Patreon:
goo.gl/pmVwP0
NM Tumblr:
goo.gl/QnOzjW
NM Facebook:
goo.gl/iPdnq9
![House of Leaves: Explored - Labyrinth in Letters [II]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hqlgmL76vG0/mqdefault.jpg)
![House of Leaves: Explored - Labyrinth in Letters [II]](/img/tr.png)
![House of Leaves: Explored - Rest in Roots [III] (End)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/NwnnX6vDgo4/mqdefault.jpg)
The challenge was 9 days, but it took me 3 years to finish house of leaves. It gnawed at the back of my mind every so often. I made my final push this week. Good book. Fucking genius.
If it makes you feel better I'm rewatching this for fun and my book from The nine-day challenge is in this. And I have not finished it four years later. (I did get 300 pages in though and I was a student so please give me some slack lol)
After ten years of reading House of leaves, I can confirm I have started reading House of Leaves
Well, I finished it in two weeks and I I'm 17.@@gretchenstubbs4378
Listen to Haunted, an album by Poe. She’s the authors sister and the album is a companion to the book and adds a whole other layer to his material
Yes! I was looking for this comment!
Leaving a comment here so I can find this later.
My head's exploding!! I got that album aaaages ago and loved it, but never knew of this connection! I'm new to the House of Leaves story itself. Guess I gotta really experience it now, since I've listened to the album so much haha
On the back cover they have a link to the album omg
I like her music. I remember saying back in the day that her music would have worked to soundtrack the Matrix.
"Em Oh Dee are you out there? You left a trace on a data backtrace that I almost erased.."
"Uh, it's actually 'emo die'.."
God, I am so happy that I read this book unspoiled. I have legitimately never had literature move me the way House of Leaves has.
Ughh finneee ill get the book before i watch the video
It took me 4 years, but this was one of the few times I truly headed your advice and waited to watch these videos without having first read the source material
I am eternally grateful
Just going to put this out there. I think giving a 9 day limit to reading this book was a bad idea. The book is kind of like a good whiskey or scotch, you need to sip it and take the flavor in slowly rather than gulp it down. Otherwise you are wasting the flavor and just binging on good quality material rather than savoring it for what it is.
I agree with you greatly, good sir. Cheers... *clink*
I can't imagine something better for critical absorption of a complicated work than rushing through it so you can follow a fanfiction. Man. So glad he did this.
my first read-through took me 5 days, and i took my sweet time. 9 days is a lifetime.
@@alefnull must be nice to have free time. As a parent i dont get afforded that luxury. That being said, i think you missed my entire point of letting the story (and mainly the horror) slowly sink in. Anyone can breeze through a book. But that doesnt mean you really get to experienxe and enjoy whats going on.
@@drsatanrx did you miss the part where i said i took my time? i was able to comprehend what i was reading, and it soaked in just fine. i'm not saying these things to act like i'm awesome for reading it in 5 days, i'm instead trying to point out that 9 days should be MORE than enough time for an average reader to get through the book while still soaking it in. i'm sorry that doesn't describe your experience, but that doesn't mean it's not enough time for anyone.
I find it interesting that the like/dislike bar is overwhelmingly positive but the comments are overwhelmingly negative
Maybe he's buying likes for the video.
That's because as always, people with the knee jerk reactions, people without patience, people with bad opinions are always the LOUDEST. Don't worry about the comments. This series will eventually unfold like the house did.
Oh my God I think I understand now House of leaves it isn't about the book it's about the destruction of Nick nocturnes career now don't get me wrong I don't hate him in any way shape or form and for me watching this video I had no intention to read the book but that is pretty strange that you bring that up cuz I thought it was just going to be a little half-and-half on the negative comments and the good comments the good comments are at the top but the negative comment seemed to be all at the bottom and I was trying to figure out what the hell was going on I haven't even finished the video yet cuz I've been so wrapped up reading the comments I don't know if this makes for a better story than the video that Everybody's Talkin about is cringy or what like I said I'm not trying to say I hate the guy or anyting but it's very disappointing me and I think you could do better as an outsider looking in
Throw Away all 230 people that disliked (at the time of commenting) commented their displeasure, while those of us that enjoyed it hit the like button and are just patiently waiting for Part 2 I suppose.
@@DulcetRawr It's 230+ people that disliked it that are standing up and demanding quality.
Allowing content creators (especially theorists) to slide by with videos that mislead their viewers is worse than speaking up in a comment section and maybe preventing someone from having an opinion formed for them instead of them drawing their own conclusions from their own research and experience.
Read this back in 2000 whilst still in high school. A buddy recommended it…I devoured it in less than a week. It was a pivotal moment in my life tbh. Influenced my own writing and art immensely. I also HIGHLY recommend “Only Revolutions” also by Mark Z. Danielewski. Totally different style, but just as amazing…in a completely different direction. Thank you so much for this deep dive!
+ Timestamps +
0:00 Intro
11:37 I | Pelican Black
35:47 II | Don't Look
50:41 III | Echo
1:08:51 IV | Exploration A
1:12:29 V | Uncanny
1:26:45 VI | S.O.S.
1:38:57 Part II Teaser
As someone who spent the last four days reading this book like it was vital to my survival, I can say the release of this video is totally worth staying up several hours of the night.
Thanks to Nick for motivating me to read- hundreds of pages aside, it feels like it's been way too long since I've picked up a book for myself!
It *was* vital to your survival.
Thank you for this comment. As curious as I am about what I am about to get myself into with this book, I shall read it first and then come back to the videos.
@@hi_its_dawnjust read it, have fun, it's truly something neat
@@robertwyatt3912the sock ruse was a distaction
You know, the more I watch this, the more I agree that Pelican Black is somewhat apocrypha for House of Leaves. While clearly Nick put a lot of work into it, I don't think it's ultimately appropriate for what House of Leaves is. It hurts the image it holds in the minds of people, simply by bring something to life that was never meant to be. It's... wrong, and I hate having to say that about something Nick created and is clearly passionate about. In any case, I'm proud of Nick for the work he's put into it, even if I don't think it was an appropriate idea in the end.
I’ll add my voice to the others on the fact that the Pelican Black videos just...didn’t sit right? I feel like the book more than stood on its own, without the need for the Pelican Black videos at all.
Not to mention a quick look into the comments on those videos reveals it used to be Night Mind’s second channel. I will give a clap for the extra layer of meta to the whole thing(a fake video about a character in a book editing a book about a fake movie). Still, the bits about the videos were what fell flat so far to me.
When the video was talking about the book and pointing stuff out was great though. Definitely made me notice and rethink some things.
>reveals it used to be Night Mind’s second channel
Yep, he's a sell out. Has been for a long time. Most of his shit he's paid to put in front of you and overhype.
@@bashkillszombies what would even fit that description? like MAYBE CryptTV has the budget to secretly sponsor obscure CZcams channels but everything else seems like people who wouldnt know he exists. hell he spent like half an hour shitting on Night Vale so yeah I'm sure that was paid overhype
@@bashkillszombies Okay but even if that were true, house of leaves *IS* a legendary work in the art community. This isn't overhype, this is the standard amount of hype.
Coming back to this after part 3 and reading the comments. Remember how we all thought Johnny was shitting on Zampanos work to give himself some credit in the art world. Go back to Pelican black, think about how much Nick REALLY cares about the work being portrayed. He loves House of Leaves so much that he created yet another echo chamber, he changed nothing about the story and yet followed the format damn near to the letter to bring us a great explanation to the series. This book means so much to so many people and how they interpret and admire the book is all to them, but when someone takes the time to not only understand everything he can but also follow suit and mirror the format you cant just sit there and say he did a bad, he distracted you and gave you yet one more hallway to look down and that is worth admiring.
To Night Mind,
Well fucking done, was going to leave this on your part 3 but i felt coming back to the beginning was the most appropriate. You covered the book to a level that i couldn't have imagined and the whole way though i was just as entangled and lost in the maze as i was reading the book. The words woven at the end were some of the most mind twisting and heart ripping revelations i have ever gone through, this piece truly does belong in a museum. Do not ever stop being who you are, keep pushing, your way of using Pelican black as a distraction was perfect and made your point well made. this will be paired with my readings of House of Leaves from now on, i take yearly trips through the maze and always manage to interpret it in a new way.
From a loving and dedicated fan of both you and Mark,
Nevin Whitlock
I appreciate the effort you put into pelican black but I do not really care about it. I wanna hear about the book you made me read cat daddy
Well pelican black is somewhat important to the story being video diaries related to the book
Plus it helps visualize the things talked about
Just watch the second video. It will be VERY worth it.
@@thegamemaster4452 That would be the case if night mind weren't the one who made them
For someone who has been so anti-game-jacking, I fear you've overlooked that this is borderline, if not entirely, game-jacking from a literary point of view.
Nick abhors game-jacking. He was very specific and purposeful when he said this project is in no way affiliated with the original work. So when we’re presented with videos that he clearly made but are told they’re real, we have to assume our narrator is unreliable. It’s an echo of one of the book’s central themes.
"This isn't for you." Yup ok, got it
@@ludwigvan2685 Yet still feels like a great work-around excuse to having to admit that he is trying to forcefully enter his personal work into the literary realms of the source material a.k.a. game-jacking. I get what he was going for, and that it does line up with the themes, but how does this not apply to literally any other game jacker? They could use the EXACT same logic and reasoning to justify the game-jack: "My themes and ideas line up with the original source material, so it's perfectly justified that I add my own content and tamper with the mechanics of the imagined world, because it all fits together!" Yeah, no, not buying it. This is game-jacking, pure and simple.
@@Infradead "I ignored all attempts at understanding this post, and just decided to post a worthless, snarky reply." Yup ok, got it.
@@SNOZ562 You know I was responding to the other guy, right?
Nick, your ability to string together small clues and little details into a coherent, hidden picture never ceases to amaze me. Hats off to you; this looks like a masterpiece in the making.
Imagine rushing through one of the most intreguing and unique novels ever written thinking you're going to get an analysis of said novel when you finish only to receive a peice of sub par fanfiction... I get what NM is doing here, he wants to mirror the unreliable narrator aspect of the book by inserting his own fictional videos as part of the overall House of Leaves lore. But in my opinion the inclusion of these Pelican Black segments are so jarring and distracting I can't bring myself to finish this one. They're really not very convincing but even if they where that's not the point.
I'm glad I already read the book a few years back, it took me a few weeks as I wanted to really soak up every page. But, man, I sure would feel a bit cheated if I rushed through House of Leaves for this. Sorry if this sounds harsh I'm trying to be respectful but, Nightmind, you're not a part of this novel. It's quite disrespectful to try to insert your OC where it doesn't belong. I don't come to your channel for your own personal art projects, I come here for objective anlysis. If this is the direction you want to go in you're free to but I'm not particularly interested in this sort of content.
I do see NM quality going downhill lately from the recent videos he has been uploading. The passion is there don't get me wrong, but it seems that he has lost his independent third party status for analysis in favor of putting himself throwing his own opinion in the mix. It his channel and I have no right to dictate to him how to make videos and write essays. But I do have the right to complain and criticize. The Pelican Black videos are jarring to say the least, but have merit. If the channel description is true to believe then the jarringness and cringe are to be expected from a supposed video series to be over 20 years old now. Johnny looks to be in his twenties and if the videos were made in the 90s then he would be in his early to mid 40s. He would probably cringe as well as us if he looked at the videos again.
this is what i was afraid of when the project was announced :( personally havent kept up much with NM as the persona has gotten bigger, as its started overshadowing the analysis that i used to watch for. when this was announced i was equal parts afraid and hopeful, because the book is so important and clearly hes passionate about it. but in the end... this just aint what i wanted.
Borderline gamejacking in my opinion.
@@kingblue71 but nightmind made the vids recently. Pelican Black used to be his second youtube channel. That's why a lot of people (including myself) were already subscribed without knowing what it was :/
@@goodoladam how did you feel about the parts of the book that entailed descending into a hollow well
Okay. Also. The only thing that I have an problem with if Pelican Black is the... "true" video journal for Johnny... it is stated that though he is a tattoo apprentice, he has no tattoos himself. Only his scars.
You can see in the reflection and when he films his hands he has a ton of tattoos.
Sorry. I'm nitpicky.
Negative Creep I think the Pelican Black videos are a bit disappointing. Not only are they inconsistent with the book and poorly articulated, but the emphasis being placed on them is taking away from the content I was so excited to see...which is a thorough analysis of the novel itself.
Never mind the gauged ears. Totally not something I saw in the scene in the 90s.
@@LakeVermilionDreams I was also thinking the same thing but I already was nitpicking.
Johnny is an unreliable narrator. Might be to show that
@@BG_NC ehhhhh. I mean that's true... BUT it's more likely that someone did a tie in years later.
I'm conflicted. I really do enjoy this analysis a lot so far, but the Pelican Black stuff feels like taking it a step too far. Not drawing a line between fan content and what's actually related to the published work feels almost...a little perverse. It's incredibly well made, and I appreciate the effort - no doubt about that. But I would prefer more emphasis on the actual novel's contents, and if Pelican Black _were_ a thing in it, I would prefer it to for supplemental or illustrative purposes - as is, it feels a little misleading.
EDIT 3/21/2019: NICK YOU BEAUTIFUL BASTARD YOU FUCKING GOT ME.
Yeah, my thoughts exactly. I was SO excited all this week, hoping for some NM-style analysis of the book itself. But to throw in the fan-made video as being a real part of the book just doesn't feel like what was promised. Maybe it's my own expectations were wrong this week? After all, NM does concentrate on web-based video series almost exclusively.
@@AriadneJC yeah but to make his own content and then review it as if it were someone elses work while it clearly was found in about 10 minutes of being uploaded that it was his old second channel?
Yeeeeeeeah... It hurts to say, but you're right. It's misleading, and it isn't exactly well-executed. It's a great idea on paper, but it could've been done A LOT clearer and A LOT better
@@sarahvilardi3071 Yeah, definitely. I think Nick has time to maybe fix some of it in later uploads, given the spacing of them? But I just hope he takes that opportunity.
Yeah man, I really hate to say it, but I agree. The guy they got to play Jonny is just no where close to the character in the actual novel. Like, it's to the point of distraction for me. Jonny is antagonistic, empathetic, sardonic, in over his head but brave, and ultimately likable. The guy in the Pelican black stuff feels like a social media influencer and is, in my opinion, in direct conflict with who Jonny is. This is all not to mention the fact that Pelican Black is a totally fan made aspect that is now being treated as a legitimate part of the story. It all just feels disingenuous. :/
I'm really disappointed that you did not disclose you created the pelican black videos. I was on board, though a bit confused because you said those videos were made 20 years ago and the actor's style firmly looks late 2010s, and the acting wasn't great, but was excited at the thought that there'd be hidden ties between the book and these videos - only to find out later that it's basically fanfiction or even gamejacking. Not a fan of the bait and switch. If you want to create your own work, fine, but don't pretend it's something it's not! And don't jerk yourself off by pretending to cleverly notice bits of symbolism (like the morse code) that in fact YOU put in.
I've heard rumors that the misdirection was the 'point' but even then, if I hadn't stumbled across the information that pelican black was not official book canon, I would have probably gone on thinking so, and that severely misrepresents the work. I know this series isn't over yet, but I really hope the video stuff is left behind and you focus on analyzing the work, or you stop being coy or even flat out dishonest about the video's origin.
I'm an hour in and almost want to stop because I'm left wondering where the analysis is? Right now this just seems like a rough retelling and bringing up the bad/cheesy Pelican Black videos.
colburn0004 his analysis series tend to start with that
I'm pretty sure this guy made the Pelican Black vids too. I was subscribed to Pelican Black before I even knew I was, but realized it was because I was subscribed to NightMind's second channel and he had overhauled everything to make it into 'Pelican Black'....
I'm going to skip this one and wait for his final videos on the subject.
Gigi Luv is this true??
The actual analysis is in the last 20-30 minutes. Also, this is part one. All of Night Mind's videos begin with extensive recaps of the material as a way to make sense of it before the actual analysis is done.
I'm going to echo (get it?) the the sentiment expressed by others in this comment section and say that the pelican black videos were a misstep. I certainly appreciate the effort that was put into them, but they aren't what people came here for. No one was asking for a retelling of Johnny's perspective, people wanted a straightforward analysis of House of Leaves. Moving forward, I think this series would be better served if the props from pelican black were simply used as visual aides during the analysis of the book, which I believe would enhance the viewing experience rather than detract from it. Either way I hope that NM continues the series, and can learn from the mistakes made here. Sometimes less really is more.
OK EVRERYONE.
Yeah, it is weird that Night Mind is adding his own snippets to the story.....almost as weird as adding your diary to a manuscript you found.
Keep watching this is intentional.
[Quick Update 2.0] Watch part 2. It's well worth it. No sarcasm :)
[End Update]
[Quick Update 1.0] Just wanted to use this opportunity to be a billboard for another fantastic read that has quite a bit of mystery: "S." by Doug Dourst (backed by JJ Abrams). Similar to HoL, S. takes things to another level in immersive writing styles by including hand written notes in the margins and numerous looseleaf pieces of info ranging from newspaper clippings to post cards that you could swear were real.
What comes from the sea, will be returned to the sea. [End "Quick" Update]
The Pelican Black series felt like a bad excuse to allow Nick the opportunity to analyze House of Leaves.
I'm skeptical about this analysis as HoL is really an experience that is unique to the reader.
...
I don't know man, this seems...taboo...
Also...that Johnny in Pelican Black felt waaaaaay off.
It just...wasn't dark enough.
Not to mention, there is a very specific reason that Johnny should NEVER be on camera or voiced.
Please acknowledge the ending the way the author intended. Much of his work is interpretive. But HoL ended in a VERY specific way that is not up for interpretation.
This is not for us. Not for us at all.
I'm glad I'm not alone in feeling that way. It hurts so much because I really feel like the heart was in the right place, but being able to see any of what happened around Johnny Truant undercuts many of the core themes of the story.
No but HoL really is an experience that is unique to the reader, the whole Pelafina story hit really close to me and each person interprets everything differently. That's part of the narrative; you.
@@Shoctime The reader is most definitely considered in the narrative.
Again, the ending of HoL is very specific. It leaves no room for interpretation. The same way that when you exit a maze, it's final. There's no more guessing as to where you should explore next.
In regards to this analysis, I feel Nick has done a tremendous thing in bringing HoL to a new generation.
But (and this is not a significant but), HoL was and still is a cult phenomenon for the simple reason that there is something for all of the broken people out there to relate to this completely terrifying story of real love in real life (not that overdramatized crap most media spits out). Therefore, to really grasp what HoL is about, you have to dive in blindly with Johnny. Search for what breaks you in the story. And then search for what puts you back together. Over. And. Over.
Ponder the opening words: "This is not for you."
Read the ending.
And reflect.
@@dschwamm I remember reading the bathroom scene as I was actually on the crapper lol
I felt the lights dim as I was reading. They didn't of course, but the atmosphere was too right.
I'm really glad that someone is bringing HoL back in to the limelight, I just feel conflicted over the exposure.
HoL is a one of a kind experience that I am definitely ok with not getting a movie adaptation.
Mark himself stated that the only parts of the book that are usable for a movie is the actual Navidson Records. Hollywood stopped chasing a contract with him after he said that lol
I don't give a rip for some art student's project I just want an interpretation of the book. Oh well, I guess this is not for me
I mean, the acting is shitty and how are we supposed to believe Truant lives in the 90s with gauged ears, a decidedly 2010s fashion? Just piggy backs off of Danieliewski's work. I really hope that Nick wasn't involved with black pelican. But it's the only way I can believe he'd give it the time of day.
@@LakeVermilionDreams it was made by night mind
@@marafolse8347 that's unfortunate. I guess I expected more quality, considering Nick's normal quality, even the quality of the dhmis videos, and considering the criticisms of web series with either tremendous or terrible acting.
LakeVermilionDreams Black Pelican is Nick’s old second channel
HULKJ4ZZ I don’t agree. I’m personally very black and white so symbolic thing typically fly over my head and I enjoy stuff like this that point it out. I don’t think Nick is calling himself excellent as what he is covering, except for this with his “real videos”.
I wanted to say thank you Nick, I've hoped to see someone cover this book since I first read it in college over a decade ago. This is the only story to truly get under my skin as an adult and remains proudly on my bookshelf today. I trip my hat to you in admiration of the hours of hard work I can only imagine you've put in to this. Again, thank you.
Okay so years after this video was made, a year of so of it sitting on my shelf, I finally got to it and read the whole book through. On your request though I went all that time spoiler free. I'm also delighted to find I wasn't the only one to draw the connection that the book is itself a labyrinth. :)
It makes me happy that, even though I discovered this video 4 years after the fact, that House of Leaves is still making an impact and is having a resurgence and that new readers are discovering it so many years after the fact. I read this when it first came out when I was in high school and has stuck with me well over 20 years later. I still have my original copy.
I’m now a purchasing manager at a comic/game/book store and I stock copies of house of leaves on my shelf. It makes me happy every time I have to order new copies for my store.
For those who were disappointed (like me initially) KEEP WATCHING THRU PART 2. THIS IS AN AMAZING REVIEW. Like so people can see!
What chapter do I need to read to to watch part 2??? Please respond!!!!
@@dbossx2491 all
So this isn't the actual book? I really need to find this in audio format, but Audible doesn't have it and neither does the Library for the Blind.
@@thetickedoffpianoplayer4193 Because of how this book is formatted it needs to be read physically.
@@ethanfisher556 It would be a bit of a challenge, but they could do it if they tried. Audiobooks sometimes have multiple narrators, so they could have two or three different people to read the different sections, interrupting each other when needed. Also, I know there is some funky formatting that the author does. The way you get around that is to insert narrator's notes describing what is happening. This is how they make movies accessible for the blind, so I'm sure it could work for this book. It would be harder, but they could do it if the author would bother. He has excluded a whole population of blind readers, and it's pretty disgusting in my book. It really sucks when you hear about a book that is a masterpiece and all the positive things people say about it, only to have the author basically go, "I don't want you to read my book because of your disability."
I have to thank you so much for this. I have synesthesia surrounding letters, words, fonts, numbers translating into my brain as their own predetermined colors, shapes, sometimes even emotions, sounds or ambiguously implied moods and feelings. I don't have it as intensely as some-i don't taste colors or smell numbers but it's enough and somehow aligned so that House of Leaves felt somehow perfectly written to work with my stupid loud brain but also felt like almost a personal attack on me in the form of absolute sensory overload that I just simply could not finish. Oh and I tried but it was too chaotic and literally affected my sleep as I could not stop seeing the onslaught of text and colors and shapes stuck behind my eyelids when I would try to sleep. I hate walking away from a story, but my mother literally asked me to stop reading this book but I have hated not being able to at the very least know the events and ending, as it is for so long. You are one of my creators in this space and I'm not sure how I missed the fact you'd made this series but it makes me feel less like I'm cheating and finally ok to get someone's perspective whom I trust to give me closure on this strenuous artistic endeavor I always felt defeated by.
It took me 3 years to finish this book lol. Technically I didn't read it much for a lot of that time, but yesterday I read for five hours straight and finished it. Now I can finally watch these three videos I've had in my watch later for so so long.
Oh- I thought this was gonna be about the book, not the videos from that channel. They’re obviously not the real videos and the person in them isn’t really the best actor either- not to mention the tattoos.. I don’t wanna brush off the work you did Nick but I don’t think those videos do this justice..
Mark Keller that I can kinda brush off since they seem to be purposely made to seem like old tapes
Boy are you going to be surprised with Part II.
John Veltman seen it lol
Skelecat well I mean the dude looks like what I think he would be but the acting is sub par
I am so so so tempted.
But I WILL read the book first. I promise.
Same here.
Same. I just put in my order and it says it's coming on the 18th.
It's much better that way, trust me. I can't even begin to think how one would understand the content of this video without giving the book AT LEAST one complete read-through before watching. I've read it up to six times in the last ten years and I still find a new subtlety every time.
I think mine should be here tomorrow or tuesday and I am HYPED
Same, I just came here to like and comment to support this series 😅
I hate to say this but adding the Pelican Black videos to this review is really disrespectful. The book can stand on its own with out a quite frankly game jacking video series.
Explain, I think it adds a lot of more context to the story even if the goddamned Wikipedia didn’t mention the dollhouse changing as the story changed
@@sugaaria29moriah99pelican black has no relation, it's just a fan series. Adding it as if it is a source that should be considered along with the actual novel feels forced
@@avebave6550 I don’t give a shit! It gives context to the story!
@@sugaaria29moriah99It isn’t context if it isn’t the story and it’s a subpar fanfic.
This was excellent. Especially the end. I see that a lot of folks are saying they stopped at the hour mark and i think thats a mistake. I really recommend anyone who stopped there push past that point because thats really where the summary starts to wrap up into a bigger point that gives me all the goosebumps that remind me of what i loved about this book.
I will say that i agree that the pelican black videos are a bit off putting, even though i get the purpose in context. But, if it really bothers you, just skip it. Everything else is a pretty solid read of the book and worth a watch.
I read this novel so many years ago, probably almost 10 years ago, when i was pretty young and this video has made me really, really want to reread it because i dont think I had enough experience to really understand a lot of the themes at the time. So, thank you. I look forward to the rest of this.
It seems the general sentiment is that Pelican Black is rather unimportant in the long run, with not much to show for itself, like an amateur fan project rather than something worth covering by NM standards, let alone something worth including in this particular set of videos.
I wonder if the inconsistencies and general poor quality of the content in Pelican Black is meant to be a distraction in itself. Much like the nonsensical segments in the book (the ones shown in 1:33:55). We know for a fact it is NM's secret project, the hidden web series he said he'd cover but not state it was his. And for someone who has covered and rejected a whole lot of web series, it is surprising that this one that has very little to offer made it in the final cut. Suspiciously so.
Lemonadder add to that the fact that the pelican black channel used to be nicks second channel, I wish I was kidding, but this is so transparent it’s laughable
Its seems to be gamejacking and self promotion that Nick low key trying to do and he got caught.
I really hope you're right that it's purposeful
In what I've learned about Nicks personality off camera (not necessarily first hand experience so take this with a grain of salt), this HoL project is exactly what I would expect of him.
Not to mention, if we take our rose colored glasses off and look past his hypnotic voice, Nick often misrepresents other people's works just to fit his theories. All in a gamble for views and subscriptions.
He's a theorist, so we can't technically tell him he's wrong. Riding that, he kind of says what he wants and doesn't pay much respect to his accuracy.
Take for example his Don't Hug Me I'm Scared. The presentation was quite unique in comparison to other DHMIS theory videos. But the actual content covered was ancient news. He even said he wasn't saying anything new in the video himself! And then continues to say sweet nothings about DHMIS. But hot damn, the delivery was unique enough to excuse a rehash of OLD content, even if it was just Nicks sneaky way of getting more views and subscriptions.
TL;DR Take Nicks projects with a pound of salt. Or, just don't watch him lol
Man, I'm kinda disappointed that a NM video exploring one of the best books ever written is putting so much stock in a thematically and factually inconsistent video fan project. Important aspects of Truant aren't present, descriptions of the environments and the state of certain artifacts are pretty watered down from how they are described in the book... I think overall the videos do a disservice to House of Leaves even by displaying visual evidence of any of the events of the book since it really undercuts the unreliable narrator aspect which was so important a theme in the story that the book practically opens on pages Truant describing lies he tells.
I really want to keep watching because I have nothing but respect for NM, but I respect House of Leaves too much to try to sit through it being muddied by being evaluated through what frankly comes across as elevated half-baked fanfiction. I'm sure that Nick has some really good insights about the book... I'm sorry, maybe it's a failing on my own part, but I don't think I can finish this. I'll be back when there is another subject covered though :)
It's because the video stuff is Nick's webseries... and it's not even good. This whole thing is basically self promotion. It's pretentious and gross.
Couldn't agree more!
Totally, William Holly. I feel a little cheated once the "Look at this web series! Let's analyze THAT not the book itself!" bit started early in this video. I was expecting some in-depth analysis of the book, along the lines that NM did on other off-centre media (like how he took DHMIS apart in so much detail). But to start analyzing something ELSE than the book (albeit still related to the original) feels....... a cheap let-down. Oh well.
I mean...he spends ten minutes at the front of this video pounding home that this is a unrelated work not connected to the story nor endorsed by the author, etc etc. I'm not sure what else you'd want him to do to separate the dramatic recreation from the novel. And I disagree that creating a pseudo- alternate reality series to aide in explaining the book takes away from it. CZcams IS a visual medium after all, and House of Leaves was one of the earliest ARGs. So of all the formats to choose from for a dramatization, that seems the most appropriate.
@@z-beeblebrox I agree with your points, definitely. I'm just expressing how I felt after his "Read HoL!" video that didn't (as far as I can remember) mention that he would be dealing with his own fan-fic contribution, and instead that "Read it!" video seemed to imply that it would be analyzing the book and official canon only. I think I took the "this is not affiliated with or endorsed by..." message to mean something like "The conclusions I come to here aren't officially sanctioned by the author or publisher"---I was wrong to interpret it that way. Again, as I said in another comment, perhaps it's my own expectations that were a little off and I've only got myself to blame. Not hating, just expressing a feeling and admitting I might have been carrying unwarranted expectations.
I was really looking forward to this, but all the pelican black stuff kind of ruined it for me honestly.
Am i the only one who feels it’s kind of disrespectful to put those clearly fabricated pelican black videos along an analysis of the novel? It clearly stands on its own and shoehorning the videos (that were probably made or produced by NM himself) is so silly.
I think the heart was in the right place, and I think that it'll ultimately result in a deeper meta narrative evaluating the misdirection of the videos themselves, but I definitely agree that it's misguided (and disrespectful, if unintentionally) and it really hurt my ability to appreciate this video.
Yeah the pelican black stuff seems really forced but the initial analysis was great, just the fake tie in seems really forced
Yup. Pretentious and gross kind of sums up Nick's whole approach here.
It's really odd, considering that the one thing we know Nick despises is game jacking...
I will say, at the very least, I appreciate video clips with actual action occurring rather than just stills with voiceover commentary for 1.5 hours.
I think people would have accepted them better if they were more like "reenactment" videos rather than "a new addition to the story".
Actually, in fact, I was kind of thinking that Nick was going to have "himself" experience the effects of the House of Leaves (i.e., Nick was going to go mad just by evaluating the book for himself).
I really hope these Pelican videos won't be through the entire thing! Only a few seconds into them and it's already ruining what my mind was imagining as I read the book. Any sort of visual adaptation of a book kinda sours it for me.
it doesn't help that johnny is very adamant about the fact that he is riddled with scars and has no tattoos and this "johnny" is pretty much the exact opposite of that
@@Hatbird_ - maybe he was lying?
David Abest the point of the book is that it’s full of unreliable narrators, if you visually show what’s true and what isn’t, it completely undermines the theme
NM said there would be more than 3 hours of content, and this is just 1 1/2
Good point. Apparently MZD himself declined several offers to make the book into a show, so it kind of confuses me how he retweeted this video? So was NM's interpretation okayed by MZD himself or something?
I didn't enjoy Pelican Black videos, but I enjoy what I *think* Nick did with them. The "water heater" thing? And the fact that existence of the HOUSE at Ash Tree Lane, as well as validity of the footnotes is verifiybly fake? Nick treating PB as an official part of the book is mirroring the blurring the line between reality and fiction. He's pulling "HOUSE of Leaves" inside a "HOUSE of Leaves" analisys.
It shows that nothing about this should be trusted. You shouldn"t trust Truant. You shouldn"t trust Zampano. You shouldn"t trust Nick. And you definately shouldn"t trust the HOUSE.
Oh wow, a creator I used to respect is doing an anaylsis on one of the greatest pieces of esoteric media known to mankind, maybe he can-
Oops, it's a fanfiction. God damnit.
Alright alright I take it back
@oliver dreyer I feel like he's caught up in his success and has a type of "Golden Touch" fallacy going on. Really devastating. He is a creative Titan beneath what's happening to his content right now.
@oliver dreyer I don't like how he shit on Petscop, I think this series is well done after p2 but It's just barely passing. For him to get critical... I think you lose a spark of critical ability when you put your hat in the ring. Ebert and what not did the same thing and when hitting something as a peer as opposed to a viewer you lose something.
@@t.a.hargrove1212 yeah so far this series is doing all the things he's said he hates
I want to watch this rn so so so badly.... but ok, if you are so adamant about this i will read the book first. I promise.
Everyone's real angry about the Pelican Black videos (and ngl, the acting _was_ pretty hard to sit thru) but I feel like I've seen enough of NM's stuff to know he's got some other intent with them. NM's pretty detail-oriented, so the fact that Johnny has tattoos despite the book firmly establishing he doesn't have any clued me off automatically that the videos probably aren't supposed to be what they first appear to be. I also know NM's super against 'game-jacking' and wants to be respectful to the work (especially one so well-loved as HoL), so I really don't think PB is just his "deviantart fanfic" as some commenters are calling it. Anyways, if the next parts come out and nothing more happens with the PB videos, then consider this comment void, but I'm gonna trust NM knows what he's doing for now.
tl;dr Think it's a bit early to judge the PB videos, even if they _are_ cringy at first
I'm not as concerned with the cringiness as much as that he is using them as a substitute for the book during an analysis, was unclear with the original warning whether the "this is nonaffiliated work" covered only the analysis or the PB videos as well before treating them as if they are canon, and he just sent hundreds of people to buy and speedread one of the most challenging to parse books ever and is immediately painting their perceptions of it with these PB videos which is robbing them of the pacing, cooldown, and reflection which is perhaps as important as the book itself. I really hope he pulls a rabbit out of a hat as well but I'm really afraid it's just a well intentioned misfire.
*A Very Heavy Word of Advice:*
*Originally, House of Leaves: Explored - Part 1 was meant to be released in unison with Part 2. They go hand-in-hand for very strong viewing reasons, and their separation will result in the same dissatisfaction you may feel by turning away House of Leaves if you only looked into a few chapters at the bookstore. If you are feeling weird at all about Part 1, keep your faith and proceed to Part 2.*
Need to get a copy of House of Leaves before you can embark? Click "SHOW MORE" on the video description above for a list of retailers! Like the music you've heard in this video? It's all original and composed for the House of Leaves project by indie musician Cory Croft & the Band of Phantoms:
Cory Croft & the Band of Phantoms - 'Leaves' EP: czcams.com/video/cRSgyE670tk/video.html
Cory Croft & the Band of Phantoms - Bandcamp: goo.gl/XZuwUP
If I did a $100 patreon donation would you read the book?
hate to say this but i did not like the book and it was hard read.
Dis music...is the awesomeness and it matches the story and your wonderful voice. This is the greatest thing.
Mr Night 👏
It's 04.00 sitting in the dark
Headphones in
Welcome back Nick you've been missed
@@emperorxander666 Lucky for you, you reacted as Zampano had hoped.
Just finished watching all the Pelican Black vids myself and wanted to throw in my two cents. I don't hate Pelican Black or Nicks decision to include them. In fact I have full faith in Nick that there's a reason for it and until the series is over I will be watching with the same open mind I kept while readiing the book as well. If I hadn't kept myself going while reading I would've stopped and missed one of my now favorite books of all time. I trust Nick.
Hey guys I'm going to eat lunch can you call me when the summary is over and the actual analysis starts
Ok yup got it
Updating on your request.
Second week in and we're not on the analysis yet.
Month after the fact, it's still the preamble
Robert Aiello beginning to think it won't ever start
@@dyn1954 ohhhhh
this is after CZcams switched from views to retention time isn't it
my mans really out here doin a whole ass feature length video.
ive been really excited for this tho and im super happy you got so many people to read house of leaves.
This feels like someone made a book report and half of it is just the person's experience of what he thinks the book might have in it based on the synopsis on the back before even getting to what the book has in it. Mixed with massive game jacking.
I finally finished it. Forgot for about a year and a half, didn’t get my hands on it for another year, and then(because I’ve unfortunately become a.. not so great reader.. in adulthood) it took me about another year to really hit my stride reading it. But once I hit my stride, I finished it much quicker relative to how fast I’d been reading when I started. Fantastic. There are certain parts of this book that evoked certain feelings that I was unaware books were capable of evoking. So glad I finally managed to finish it, although I’ll probably give it another read in the future.
Just finished my first read and immediately took to youtube in hopes of finding smarter people than me talking about it. How great to stumble upon your multipartner! Also, dear god you have the most pleasant voice I've ever heard, this will be a great time!
Nick, I just want to say thank you a million times for pronouncing 'Navidson' correctly
The nickname 'Navy' is such a subtle, hidden-in-plain-sight way to clear up pronunciation, and I swear EVERYBODY ELSE MISSES IT
what other way is there to pronounce navidson?
@@ErikaCartet With the 'nav' like 'navigation'
@@jadegecko oh, duh. that makes sense now that you’ve pointed out an alternative, but since navidson is spelled with just the initial letter difference from davidson, it was for some reason really hard for me to imagine not defaulting to the same vowel sounds of davidson when first coming across the name. it just rolls off the tongue so naturally (imo) when pronouncing it similarly to a familiar/common surname - the only guess i was able to make was “are people pronouncing the first part like the name naveed??” lol
@@ErikaCartet Right?! And yet I've lost count of how many breakdowns I've seen, delving deep into all these hidden easter eggs and headcanons, and they keep pronouncing his name wrong lol
Forgive me Nick, but I must wait to listen to this..
Are you okay?
You sound tired
I just want to say, I LOVE LOVE LOVE how many participants scrolled by the screen in the opening. I'm excited to see the rest of the video, but even if nothing else happened, just the fact that you got so many people to read -House- of Leaves is awesome
after years of restraining myself from watching this, after literally 1,933 days, i have finally finished this novel, and with it i can watch the series that sparked the desire to read it in the first place. this novel is seriously powerful stuff.
So NM has worked on this since last december, but the Pelican Black first uploaded two days before he announced the challenge? Hm... okay?
So???
Did NM produce the videos?
@@victoriaweasley1115 almost certainly
Halloween party mix
Yeah sorta weird lmao
this book was a trip. I was actually gifted a copy of this by a buddy in highschool somewhere around 2009ish. It stuck with me from the first read through and I keep going back to it every so often. It's truly a classic in the way that it creates a believability in the narrative. It FEELS like you're reading the diary of a man discovering madness.
I remember rushing to the bookstore the day you announced this. My body is ready.
ohgodno What do you think of the Black Pelican videos Nick made?
1.21 Jiggawatts personally I think he could have done well without them, I was more interested in the overall analysis of the book.
I just found out about this 9 day challenge but it took me just short of 2 months to finish. I was warned by a few people to not just blow through the book and to read the footnotes, and I'm very glad I did. I loved House of Leaves, and I'm currently on my first re-read.
When a book saves your life for the 6th time you kinda end up wanting to scream incoherently about it to anyone you can
I'm finally at the part where I genuinely understand "This Book Is Not For You" and I can call in my own editors.
Mark Z Danielewski. Thank you so much. I don't know if I ever would have made it out of the House, let alone to the imposing but comforting roots of yggdrasil with out this gift.
Oh damn, M.Z.D. himself retweeted the video!!!
Yeah, he's very aware about the challenge. He even liked one of my tweets :D
And the publisher.
And the both did it the minute it went live.
Just an observation ;D
@@z-beeblebrox so they didn't watch it
@@QuikVidGuy normally people retweet *then* watch. Also, why did you feel the need to reply to two of my 4 month old comments in succession?
Love how a lot of the top comments seem to ignore the opening monologue and that this is 1/3 videos.
Ok, love your content, but I gotta say this.
About fifteen years ago, I was renting a room from my buddies mom. She had a love seat in the living room. One end near the hallway, the other up against a wall. If I laid down on it, head at the hallway, feet at the wall, my feet hung over the end. Head at the wall, feet at the hallway, I fit in perfectly. Now I checked this and rechecked it. Got my buddy and a few others. Tape measure and even a yardstick. It was five and a half feet long in one direction. Measure the other way? Just over six feet.
Never did figure that out.
Seeing all these negative comments here, I truly don't see why everyone is disliking the pelican black videos. More so, to everyone who's saying they wanted more "analysis", I think he's done a great job. The essence of the book is captured. The story is well told. And most importantly, it leaves you puzzled. Really enjoyed it. The book and the video.
Dear commenters:
WATCH PART TWO.
Are the next two videos analysis?
I don't think the way you're using the linked video panel works here. I definitely appreciate the idea but the way these links are used is way more limited than citations in writing and this isn't how anybody does it. This would be fine _eventually_ but it's definitely too early to be reaching for the far limits of how CZcams functions can be used. We're still in act one and need authenticity before the world can start melting in act three.
The problem is that when Zampano or Truant or Danielewski write a citation, it can refer to literally anything, including stuff that doesn't exist. CZcams doesn't let you do that, which means linking to actual things, which severely limits your options. And even if you found something appropriate to link to, being able to click and instantly arrive at the video isn't the same as reading a citation that seems to grant authority but would require a trip to a university library to even begin verifying anything. Academic bluster is House of Leaves' secret sauce and CZcams is too damn accessible.
The only kind of links that I think could work at this moment would be to video essays--either essays by others about House of Leaves or anything by yourself--but the video itself would have to be written around them, probably coming at the expense of the Black Pelican material and requiring a fair bit of coordination with of other CZcamsrs (although I'm sure they'd be easy to convince). As it is, the links feel like odd, irrelevant junk and their only function is to remind us that this is a video about House of Leaves, which undermines our reality and I suspect reveals way too much about the project's ambitions. I feel like I got a look at your cards and that's a bummer.
But the whole point is to start with normal linked videos. The first video can't immediately take you on wild labyrinthine tangents that ultimately lead you back to the start, the same way the start of HoL didn't begin with unreliable footnotes. You have to build up to that. So your suggestion is all backwards.
@@z-beeblebrox did you read the whole comment
I get that yes, this video was structured just like HoL (including the PB clips; which were meant to parallel TNR in the structure of the book) and everyone criticizing the PB parts end up sounding like the critics mentioned in chapter 1 of TNR but.........I don't know.......this feels sort of gimmicky? Maybe it's because I always expected NM, in the real world, to be a channel that analyzes an original series from the outside. Oh well. I'm still looking forward to hearing your ideas on what the book means. :)
I think a lot of people are missing the point of Pelican Black, not to say I disagree with the criticisms, I definitely agree with a lot of them, but I think the point is more to provide another method of delivering the story that isn't just NM reading long paragraphs for several minutes at a time, as a way to break that up. Usually NM focuses on webseries so the choice was probably also made to help fit it into his regular format.
I think maybe something that would've worked better was maybe some stills accompanied with character narration. This would've meant better audio quality generally, would've been cheaper, and photos are easier to edit and filter to give off a certain atmosphere than video is. Especially at the level of production value a lot of HoL demands.
I think if it isn't too late to change, Idk if I'd outright remove the references to Pelican Black, but make it obvious they're reenactments of key story beats and don't do this very obviously fake "The secret videos of johnny finally revealed!" nonsense. It just isn't working, Nick.
"the point is more to provide another method of delivering the story that isn't just NM reading long paragraphs for several minutes at a time"
Did we want that? No. We want an analysis. We want NightMind to talk about the book and describe paragraphs. Plus, not only is it poorly acted it's poorly representing what is supposed to be imagery *in your mind*. I hate it and I'm pissed at NM.
It's almost like the Pelican Black videos are a distorted echo ringing to us before the actual story...
@@teaseab I get that, but... it's just not necessary. You don't need to have this bizarre 'meta' angle in an analysis video. It reminds me of those long, unnecessary anime-inspired 'skits' in 2000's era reviews. Unneeded fluff more to prop up the creator's ego than actually add anything. I don't know, maybe it works for some people, but for me, it's just coming off as silly, poorly executed and self-aggrandizing.
after 5 years, i was finally ready to sit down and give house of leaves my full attention. i had sat down to read several times before, but i just wasnt ready for it. i would begin to read and the maze of footnotes and appendixes and multiple perspectives confused and disoriented me in a way i hadnt experienced before. until a couple weeks ago, i sat down to read it again and suddenly it *clicked*. now, having finally finished it, im ready to listen to some deeper discussion on its themes and to hear about other things i didn't quite pick up the first time. then im going back and re-reading, this time with highlights and sticky notes and pens. im excited!! im so glad i listened to the intro 5 years ago, i cant imagine reading the book after listening to this
If there is anyone with any learning disabilities or just can't find themselves able to effectively read a book at the present moment, Alan Brown has done an unofficial audiobook on youtube. Make sure to watch it in at least 25%-50% higher speed however, because it is a bit infuriatingly slow otherwise.
I am so genuinely thankful I heeded your warning and did not watch the video until I finished the book. It took me a year and a half, because I had to stop reading for a while - I was going through a lot and Johnny's sections had me having genuine panic attacks. But I am now a changed person having read the book, and I only hope to replicate half of it's magic in one of my works.
It really sounds like Truant is reading from a script
i wonder if it was intentional
trying to... defamiliarize (?) the source material even further than going down the rabbit hole of footnotes will on its own
also i feel like i need to mention this: though we don't get a whole lot of information about johnny's *physical* (as opposed to written) mannerisms/appearance this character in Pelican Black isn't anything like what i ended up imagining johnny to be
@atticusphone humbly agreed. i appreciate what the video series is doing but in the end it sort of sours the experience for me
@HULKJ4ZZ agreed, it was hard to listen to most of the time and as a consumer of the media i have to detract points for that
This comment aged well.
Your 9 day challenge was how I learned House of Leaves exists and why I decided to read it. Kind of hard to believe that it took me five years to get around to reading it, but at least I don't have to wait for you to make these videos now.
cool self-insert fanfiction, nick, you sure did pull a fast one over us. now where the hell is the real content?
I actually loved this video. Don't get all the hate. It reminds me about the first reason why I started watching this channel. My biggest issue is when it shows Johnny truant who I understand is supposed to be punk from the 90's. Here we have a modern metalcore/deathcore dude post scene kid phase and it just makes the video look contemporary rather than set in the 90's.
Im about halfway in the book atm, just wanted to stop by and say i cant get the great hall out of my head, I feel like H.P Lovecraft would of loved this book, the void is deep and full of secrets
After 3 years I finally finished this book and can now watch this damn video
My theory is that the pelican videos are here to distract us and make us walk away from the main road, just like the book itself makes us go through all the foot notes...
Nick’s video is meant to be a maze as well. My theory
Makes sense
The Johnny-not-Johnny (tats give this away, and I think this is an intentional oversight meant to be a clue) in the videos is a metaphor for the satire of over-analysis of the book. He’s read the book enough to quote it directly (at least I think that’s what he’s doing) acting out the house with his dollhouse, and playing out Johnny’s descent into madness. My theory is zampano and Johnny are the same person: a horror writer. Zampano (if that’s his real name), is obsessed with his own work, the Navidson Record. He wants to write a new story (the Fear And Loathingesque over the top Johnny romance story) but can’t stop fussing over his previous work. He’s paranoid of critique, which explains the footnotes from critics or people exhaustively studying Navy’s documentary. He fights that with intentionally nonsensical footnotes from both zampano and Johnny. Johnny-not-Johnny is just another layer of over analysis, this time by Nick. What does this night mind analysis of his own arg about a book about somebody finding a book about a documentary that doesn’t exist mean? Echos are a big theme, what about echo chambers? This could/probably is a crock of shit from me, but that’s my too-tired crackpot theory of both the book and where this series+pelican black are going.
I can't get through the Pelican Black parts. I made it 22 mins in but every time it cuts back to it I'm taken out.
I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS SERIES! ive only read half the book ages ago and could never finish it because it got so complicated! stoked to see you are covering this book in hopes of understanding it better. its a book that has always been so mysterious to me.
I had just re-read House of Leaves for the fourth time about a month before you announced this series, and here I am now about to crack it open AGAIN.
But like either Johnny is lying or the dude in the pelican videos CANT be him. JOHNNY doesn't have any tattoos...SOOO?! Who is that?
Do we actually know if he doesn't have tattoos?
Iirc, I can't think of any physical traits about Johnny besides his disfigured arm.
I just wouldn't put it past him to at least have 1 tattoo. The gauges, I can't justify those. They're waaaay out of fashion being 1999 and all.
Maybe if he wore flair bottom khaki jnko pants lol
[Update] I'm wrong. It did say he didn't have tats!
If you want the actual answer im pretty sure he was a NM fan who also took part in the House of leaves challenge.
@@TechNMusic Johnny says straight up at one point its funny that he works in a tattoo parlor since he has no tattoo just his scars
@@MerrickTheGreat Did you feel the need to just say that to get it off your chest? Or did you not read my entire comment? Im just trying to figure what your point is since I literally corrected myself with an "[UPDATE]" inserted at the end of my comment. I had to go back to my copy of HoL to make sure I wasn't just spitting shit out of my mouth lol
PB used to be Night Mind’s second channel
This is not for you.
i am usually one that let's themselfest to be spoiled. but your 3 min ramble has convinced me to get the book 1st.
Everything is good... except for the really cringy pelican black videos, I eventually had to start skipping them..
Supposedly their videos are 20 years old so cringey is to be expected. And if the dude in the video in his 20s at the time, he would be around his late 30s to mid 40s.
@@kingblue71 the actor is a friend of Nick's, a quick browse through twitter can show that. There is a 0% chance that these videos are actually that old.
@@kingblue71 they're not, Pelican Black used to be NM's second channel. This was the project he's been making since December. It's why a lot of people (including myself) were already subscribed without having heard of it before.
@@nokeksgiven not to mention that the book goes out of it's way to say that johnny doesn't have any tattoos
@@gigiluv5527 Which was the point
I'm sure everyone involved with the PB videos had the best of intentions, but I think the videos will steer new readers' relationships with HoL too much and limit their experiences. I'm grateful to have read the book as it stands and I think having that material and that material alone is what makes this so special to me. I think our imaginations are perfect tools for concocting the scenes laid before us. This book gets into your head and sucks you in time and time again and I think it's important to lose yourself in that immersion. It makes it more personal and gut-wrenching, rathery than gimmicky.
Wow, it just clicked with me that in EMH they find a copy of HoL, and the crawl space in the series is very similar to what is found in the novel.
What is EMH?
@@Dkibble101 My guess is Everyman Hybrid, but I've only heard about it so don't quote me.
@@tinkthevintagevixen1812 oh duh, thank you. Never finished that series
@@Dkibble101 you should its great
@@drsatanrx like all of these series I believe it tapered off about 2/3 through. I won't go into spoiler specifics, but I think it especially lost some magic when we only received annual updates.
I just want to point out that as of right now, its cold, wet and ranging hard outside. Perfect time to revisit the house.
Pelikan Black videos really gave great additional insight into the story. It really starts to click in the next essay, but its awesome find nonetheless.
Link? I can't find it
I am so glad so many of us are reading this book and going through this together! The last part gave me chills, the book IS a labyrinth! Can't wait for part two!
I think I'm going to give Nick the benefit of the doubt here, since we've no way of knowing anything behind his intentions yet. If this pans out to be a shilling of his own work, I'll eat these words proudly. On twitter he retweeted a theory about this video with, "What is real? What is fiction? What is fiction the author claims is legitimate?" In my mind, it stands to reason that he's adding, in the Nick Nocturne character, his own layer. He very much implies in the video, after his disclaimer to IRL cover his ass, that the PB videos are unquestionably part of the narrative. I think we're putting together a puzzle before we even know what the pieces look like. Nick hate's game jacking, as we're all pointing out. He's worked a long time on this, I'm maybe letting emotion drive me here, but I cannot believe all this work was just to try to push PB.
I wanted to say that House of Leaves has changed my life forever. Im not sure if thats a good or bad thing, but it is a true thing.
I dont have many folks in my life that would even begin to understand.
I know that you, readers of the comment section, absolutely do understand.
Nick I love pelican black but it wouldve just been cooler if you came out about it
Also why the he'll are you trying to push yourself INTO house of leaves? It seems kinda... Disrespectful to the authors intent
Don't know if I can wait to read the book. Glad to see you back, Nick!
Edit: Okay you convinced me. I appreciate a good spoiler warning, so thanks for that.
Just finished my read through of House of Leaves tonight and am so excited to dive into this as a supplement. Thank you.
This book made me reflect on my own house, with its odd raised floor(only one us uneven) and the closet with a trapdoor that leads to nowhere
When your house is not made of leaves
Something just ocurred to me. Night Mind said that this video series is in no way affiliated with House of Leaves, yet he seems to also be sponsored in some way by Pantheon Books, which happens to be doing an official MZD book giveaway. Something doesn't line up here.
Keyblade Spirit they saw the challenge and offered to support it, that's all
The hive mind says nay on the Pelican Black videos but the rest is good stuff!
How come?
Once I learned that you were going to do an analysis of this book, that I just happened to be reading and loving, I became so excited. I love your break downs and I really wanted to see what your break down of the book would be like. I all but marked it on my work calendar when the first video would be releasing.
But it looks like you're just breaking down a video series that you produced for your other channel instead of the book itself.
Perhaps in a later video you will focus on solely the book.
Thank you for all of your videos. I'm still a fan.